With the modern type of "flush locks", penetration of water and dirt occurs more easily than with the old two-component type of locks (an inner lock and an outer lock). Today's locks also contain more electronics than the earlier ones which increases the need for effective sealing. Automatic car washes using high pressure are becoming more and more frequent which also increases the risk of water penetration, which results in functional disturbances.
The problem is well-known and several solutions exist. DE-A-35 11 143, for example, shows a solution where a surrounding is used seal to provide protection against penetration of water. This requires, however, a special shape of the surrounding seal and a complicated application method which undesirable.
Another German patent specification, DE-C-37 13 558, shows that the above mentioned disadvantages have been identified to a certain extent and it is proposed here to have a seal which partly solves some of these problems. Thus, a seal is shown in this specification which is integrated with the lock-hook of the lock and where the seal directly seals against the door plate around the seal. The general problem here is to obtain a good seal against a surface forming rear edge of the door, the plane of which is substantially parallel to the movement direction at the moment of closing. The sealing of a space where two surfaces are displaced parallelly is generally difficult. In the known specification two solutions have been proposed. The first consists of arranging blade-shaped protruding seals at the lock hook, which are intended to co-operate with the rear door edge surfaces. Here it is intended that the flexibility and elasticity of these will provide a sealing abutment around the lock after closing of the door. It is, however, evident that this solution gives rise to wear on the protruding blade-shaped members. Thus, the life of such a sealing arrangement is very limited. In addition, the risk exists that the seal becomes folded at the moment of closing and will not come into its intended sealing position.
The second solution variant solves the general first mentioned problem in another way. By arranging an extra element provided with flanges on the door, the problem to seal against two parallelly running surfaces is avoided. Said flanges protrude transversely in relation to said plane of the surface and co-operate with corresponding sealing surfaces which have been arranged at the lock hook. As is said in the description this requires, however, a very exact adjustment or also an extreme over-dimensioning whereby i.a. severe wearing must be taken into account. The adjusting requirement is not desirable, and neither is a quick wearing of the sealing element.